Avicanna names Michael Kott to board as Paul Fornazzari resigns

Avicanna Inc. (TSX: AVCN) announced that Paul Fornazzari has resigned from its board of directors and appointed Michael Kott as a new board member effective January 1, 2026.

Kott brings more than 35 years of experience in international capital markets, corporate finance, and fundraising. He is the founder and chief executive officer of CM-Equity AG, which he developed into a regulated investment bank operating across Europe under MiFID II before transitioning it in 2025 into a global single-family office focused on long-term value creation.

The incoming board member has served on public and private company boards with expertise in governance, compliance, capital markets transactions, initial public offerings, and cross-border investments. His investment experience spans biopharma and longevity, technology, cleantech, and sustainability sectors.

"I am excited for the opportunity to join the board of Avicanna Inc. and support the exciting next stages of the growth and evolution," Kott stated in the press release.

Aras Azadian, chief executive officer of Avicanna, thanked Fornazzari for his contributions over the past two years and noted that he will continue as an advisor to the company. Azadian said Kott has been an ally to the company for many years and believes his capital markets expertise will benefit the company as it aims to scale and expand.

Avicanna is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing, and commercializing plant-derived cannabinoid-based products. The Toronto-based company operates four commercial business segments including medical cannabis formulations, a medical cannabis care platform, pharmaceutical pipeline development, and active pharmaceutical ingredients production.

You May Also Be Interested In

• NU E Power Corp. adds Peter Espig to its board of directors
• Altria adds Refresco CEO Steve Presley to its board
• Dune Oil names new CEO, COO, and board member ahead of November AGM